3 October 2012
UPDATE: The monsoon rain brought damage to lots of our neighbouring towns here in the metro. We focused first on the situation of our workers and our own families, then when everything was settled, we checked each community area.

J and A's house was the most damaged in our team. Due to ten days of nonstop monsoon rain, their unfinished house started leaking from the roof, then walls, which caused flooding inside. Also the flash flood totally destroyed their garage port. We thank the Lord for J’s early decision to transfer their van to a higher and safer place.

We are now monitoring the development of two houses of our contacts in another ministry in Manila where C and B are working. We are so sensitive on how this will work inside the community. The religious leaders are so strict on who are extending help. The community leaders are monitoring if we are building a new house and the neighbours are conscious, and hopefully will not be jealous on how we are helping our contacts. Hope you’ll understand the long process we deal with before we acquire approval to help those who are affected.

The home of the Deputy FilSIM Director, and the homes of J and A, C and A also had roof leaking that damaged the ceilings.

On behalf of our team in the Philippines, we thank our SIM friends for your prayers! More than 60 percent of the city of Manila was submerged in August. Yet our workers were not injured.

Please pray for open hearts among communities as they observe and experience the love of Christ in action. Pray for discernment for our workers. Thank you.

The work of SIM in the Philippines is twofold—to recruit, train and send missionaries cross-culturally, and to receive missionaries to serve among minority groups.

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AUGUST 12, 2012

Pray for the millions of Filipinos affected by heavy floods from Typhoon Saolo. More than 60 percent of Manila has been submerged.

Praise God all our Philippines workers are safe, but continue to pray for safety and relief of those affected.

An update from one of our field leaders:

"Like others, we're safe but not spared in leaking ceiling and walls because of the non-stop raining. We are fortunate compared to the thousands of other families who lived in flooded areas and had to go to the evacuation centres or were trapped in their homes.

Many lost their homes, lost everything. We sympathize with them, please pray for thousands of Filipino families who are in dire situation."

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Typhoons and the flooding left in their wake are unfortunately not rare in Southeast Asia. In Sept 2009, Typhoon Ketsana (locally known as Ondoy), left a swath of destruction in the Philippines: Soaked, Floating and Dirty. Through the donations of friends from all over the world, SIM Philippines became one of God’s channels of hope and relief to flood victims: Hope after the Flood.